Getty Will Smith and Jaden Smith pose together in 2017.
Audiences were introduced to the character Dre Parker (Jaden Smith) in the Karate Kid remake, which premiered in 2010. As fans of Cobra Kai are aware, the show’s creators Hayden Schlossberg, Jon Hurwitz, and Josh Heald often continue the storylines of popular Karate Kid characters. For this reason, viewers may expect Dre to eventually join a karate dojo in the San Fernando Valley.
However, it is doubtful that the kung fu student will show up on Cobra Kai.
Jon Hurwitz Commented on Whether Dre Parker & Mr. Han Will Be on ‘Cobra Kai’
Getty Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith are photographed at the 2010 MTV Movie Awards.
Showbiz Cheat Sheet reported that in December 2019, Jon Hurwitz responded to a fan’s question on Twitter asking if the reboot was canon in Cobra Kai.
“I will say that the Jaden Smith/Jackie Chan universe is a different one than what you see on Cobra Kai,” read a portion of Hurwitz’s tweet.
He shared similar sentiments during a January 2021 interview with /Films. He noted that Dre and his mentor Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) will not be Cobra Kai characters.
“We’ve ruled that out completely. Jackie Chan is mentioned in season 1 of the show as a human, so I think in our world, Jackie Chan is an actor and a performer. If the characters on our show have seen a movie called The Karate Kid, they’ve seen that one,” explained the showrunner.
That being said, there is still a connection between the reboot and Cobra Kai. Will Smith, who co-produced the 2010 Karate Kid, is “one of the executive producers on Cobra Kai,” as noted by Ralph Macchio in a February interview on the Life is Short podcast. The actor, who plays Daniel LaRusso in the Karate Kid franchise, went on to explain why the A-lister is a Cobra Kai EP.
“Well here’s the thing, the reason that Overbrook, which is Will Smith’s company, and [his brother-in-law] Caleb Pinkett are EPs on the show is because when Jerry Weintraub, the original producer of The Karate Kid, allowed their remake — the Jaden Smith, Jackie Chan remake — I guess they made a deal with Overbrook that they assumed some of the rights going forward,” said Macchio.
Will Smith Has Spoken To Both Ralph Macchio & William Zabka About the 2010 Reboot
GettyWilliam Zabka and Ralph Macchio speak at the 2019 Comic-Con in San Diego.
While being interviewed on the SiriusXM show Jim Norton & Sam Roberts in 2019, Macchio revealed that Smith had reached out to him to talk about the remake.
“Will Smith called me because I think I mentioned that I wasn’t in love with the concept of them remaking the movie. So I got the call, ‘I know I’m messing with your baby but we feel there’s more meat on the bones here and if you want to be involved here in any way –‘ and which I didn’t but I respected it,” recalled Macchio.
He also stated that during the phone call, he spoke to Smith’s son, Jaden.
“I felt very Obi-Wan to young Luke Skywalker,” said the 59-year-old.
During a 2014 USA Today Sports interview, Macchio’s Cobra Kai co-star William “Billy” Zabka, who plays Johnny Lawrence, said that Smith also spoke to him about the remake. He told the publication:
I went to the premiere of that, which I went because Sony called and all the guys were there. It was fun because I was backstage at the afterparty and Will introduced us to Jaden and he said ‘I just want you to know we weren’t doing anything disrespectful, it’s an homage to the Karate Kid.’ I said, ‘I get it man, I’m actually doing the same thing with the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.’
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